Let's understand first of all that we will never be able to transform our world through legislation, programs, or committees. Even though these things can be used at times, things done in the flesh are doomed to fail. It must be through Jesus and the demonstration of our faith and life in Him.

By this means the early disciples were said to have "turned the world upside down" (Acts 17:6). The problem is that many in the church today keep their faith to themselves and are only concerned about their personal peace and affluence. They are not really interested in impacting their society even though the bible makes it clear that we are to be the salt & light of the world (Matthew 5:13-16).

Jesus said two things about who we are to be as His followers:

1. The light of the world (Matthew 5:14). Paul said we were to "shine forth as light (luminaries) in the midst of this crooked and perverse generation" (Philippians 2:15). In doing so Peter said we "show forth to the world the praises of Him who has called us out of darkness into His marvelous light".

   Jesus said "we are not to hide this light", as so many do, but let it "shine for all to see". As the moon has no light of it's own, and merely reflects the light of the sun, we also have no light of our own and merely reflect Jesus' light. Your light may seem dim in the midst of your other brothers and sisters, but when you get out into the darkness of the world even the dimmest light among us shines forth brightly.

2. The salt of the earth (Matthew 5:13). There are a number of things about salt that reveals to us the impact we can make on society if we will just be what God has called us to be:
   
   
   1. Salt is a preservative. It preserves what would otherwise decay. Before the days of refrigeration people would pack meat in salt to preserve it. Our job is to be in the world and not just having a good time in the salt shaker (church). We have so much fun in the salt shaker that we allow the meat to go bad. Don't get me wrong, church is not supposed to be dead and boring. We have a lively and fun time in our church, but that is to motivate us to do our job and go outside the doors of the church to touch others.
   2. Salt stimulates growth. In Jesus' day, farmers mixed salt with the soil to enhance productivity. We are to be productive by producing righteousness in our society, and also an increase in the body of Christ by reproducing ourselves (John 15:16). If we are not producing, then we are not being the salt that God wants us to be.
   3. Salt produces thirst. Night clubs provide an abundance of salty snacks. They don't provide them because they're nice guys, they simply know that those snacks make people thirsty and then their customers will purchase more to drink. If we are being the salt Jesus says we are to be, then the world will become thirsty for what we have and see Jesus as the only one who can satisfy their thirsty soul (John 4:13).
   4. Salt heals. It gets rid of impurities. I remember as a young child when I had a sore throat my mother would have me gargle with salt water. The church is to be a spiritual hospital that provides healing for a wounded society (Galatians 6:1; Luke 4:18-19).
   5. Salt produces heat. My wife informed me that pasta cooking instructions call for salt to be added. The addition of salt makes the temperature of the water hotter and causes it to boil more rapidly. We are to boil hotter for God and turn up the heat in the world.
   6. Salt adds taste. When salt is added to food it gives the food a more colorful taste and makes it less bland. Jesus said that salt can become tasteless and when it does it's good for nothing but to be trampled under the foot of man. When salt is mixed with another substance it changes. The other substance doesn't become salty, but the potency of the salt is diminished to the point that it may not even be seen or tasted. This is why we can't have the lost world as our only source of fellowship. We must be in and around the world to affect it, but the lost souls of the world can't be who we consistently fellowship with (1 Corinthians 15:33).
   7. Salt penetrates. In the midwest our roads are often salted during the winter to melt ice and we see the result in some of our older vehicles as rust eats through the body of the cars. We are to penetrate the kingdom of darkness and the hearts of the lost.

If we're not impacting our world, then something is wrong. We are not being what Jesus has called us to be. Let's be the light and salt we are supposed to be as Jesus' disciples. Let it also be said of us, "these that have turned the world upside down have come here also" (Acts 17:6).